Netflix Knows You’re Cheating The Streaming System

The wild west of Internet culture isn’t just pissing off Sony Pictures these days. Netflix isn’t happy, either, particularly with users who are sneakily pirating the service to access movies and shows that aren’t yet available in their immediate areas.

Tech savvy Netflix users have found a loophole in the popular service by hosting personalized VPNs — virtual private networks — that can be “set up” anywhere in the world. Before Friends was released on Netflix on January 1, we ran a story about how the U.S. was one of the last countries to have unlimited streaming access to the sitcom staple. If you know how to set up a VPN, however, this wouldn’t have mattered much to you, because while you’re sitting in L.A., your Netflix access is technically over in Finland for the moment, where users in that country have had access to Friends for months.

According to Uproxx, sharing Netflix passwords with friends and family is still acceptable, but using VPNs and custom DNS settings to access the service is technically illegal. Not only is it costly for the platform, it also infringes on contractual issues that Netflix has to abide by in certain territories. The fine print varies from country to country and is constantly changing, but the bottom line is: if you can’t watch your favorite movie or series on Netflix in your home country yet, the service has good reason and is most likely legally bound for the time being.

Torrent Freak says that frequently used VPN sites are reporting issues and “a spike in errors” for users who attempt to access Netflix. While the streaming service hasn’t made a public statement about cracking down on pirating, they’re working quietly to take care of the issues themselves.

Is this an uphill battle for Netflix? Should the service leave users to their own devices so-to-speak? Sound off in the comments.